ely the plants would not have done so
well.

The bulbs should be put into the ground as early in September as
possible.

On no account allow the bulbs to be exposed to the air. If you do, they
will rapidly part with the moisture stored up in their scales, and this
is their life-blood.

It is a good plan to put a handful of clean, coarse sand about each bulb
at planting-time.

If barnyard manure is used,--and there is nothing better in the way of
fertilizer for any bulb,--be sure that it is old and well rotted. On no
account should fresh manure be allowed to come in contact with a Lily.
If barnyard manure is not to be had, use bonemeal. Mix it well with the
soil before putting the bulbs into it.

Bulbs of ordinary size should be planted about eight inches below the
surface. If in groups, about a foot apart.

The best place for Lilies, so far as show goes, is among shrubbery, or
in the border.

Below I give a list of the best varieties for general cultivation, with
a brief description of each:

_Auratum_ (the Gold-Banded Lily).--Probably the most popular member of
the family, though by no means the most beautiful. Flowers white, dotted
with crimson, with a gold band running through each petal.

_Speciosum album._--A beautiful pure-white variety. Deliciously
fragrant.

_Speciosum rubrum_ (the Crimson-Banded Lily).--Flowers white with a red
band down each petal.

_Brownsii._--A splendid variety. Flowers very large, and trumpet-shaped.
Chocolate-purple outside, pure white within, with dark brown stamens
that contrast finely with the whiteness of the inner part of the petals.

_Tigrinum_ (Tiger Lily).--One of the hardiest of all Lilies. Flowers
orange-red, spotted with brownish-black. This will succeed where none of
the others will. Should be given a place in all gardens.

_Superbum._--The finest of all our native Lilies. Orange flowers,
spotted with purple. Often grows to a height of eight feet, therefore
is well adapted to prominent positions in the border.

[Illustration: AURATUM LILY]

While the Lily of the Valley is, strictly speaking, _not_ a Lily, it
deserves mention here. It is one of the most beautiful flowers we grow,
of the purest white, and with the most delightful fragrance, and foliage
that admirably sets off the exquisite loveliness of its flowers. No
garden that "lives up to its privileges" will be without it. It does
best in a shady place. Almost any soil seems to suit it. It is very
hard